Man arrested after opening emergency exit and walking onto airplane wing

A man was arrested on Thursday as he climbed out of the emergency exit of an airplane, airline Jetstar confirmed to Australian media.

The Airbus A320, operated by Jetstar, had just arrived in Melbourne from Sydney when the incident occurred.

“We can confirm that a passenger opened the emergency exit door after arriving in Melbourne, which automatically deployed the slide,” Jetstar said in a statement to Sky News.

“The plane was at the gate at the time,” it said. “The passenger was [Australian Federal Police.]”

A TikToker who claimed to have been on the plane and posted a video of himself holding a ticket for the flight shared a video talking about what happened.

“We had landed and they were just about to open the main exit,” the TikToker, who appears on the platform under the name Kyle Kenneth, said in a video.

“When everyone realized what he was doing, they all said, 'Stop, what are you doing? We're about to leave,'” he added.

Flight attendants and passengers tried to pull the man back before he managed to open the exit, he said.

7News obtained a video showing the man running along the wing of the plane before being arrested by airport staff.

A Jetstar passenger was arrested by federal police after opening the emergency exit upon arrival at Melbourne Airport.

Jetstar flight JQ507, departing Sydney, had just arrived at a gate when the man opened the exit, causing the slide to be ejected from the side of the aircraft.

The man is said to have been … pic.twitter.com/6DKKZ0fJcH

— Latest aviation news and videos (@aviationbrk) 22 August 2024

An AFP spokesperson told Business Insider that the man was examined by paramedics and taken to hospital for further examination.

“AFP continues to investigate this case and it is likely that charges will be filed at a later date,” they added.

An airport spokesman told The Guardian newspaper: “Melbourne Airport is proud of the exceptional response of ground staff, which resulted in no immediate danger to other passengers or airport staff.”

Jetstar, AFP and Melbourne Airport did not immediately respond to Business Insider's requests for comment, sent outside Australian business hours.